Fight On
by Aviantei
Summary: In the end, fighting is all Kouha is capable of./ Maybe that's why Kougyoku fights. Because at least that way she knows that she's got a chance of winning. [Character Study; Now a Two-Shot]
1. Fight On

**Fight On**

By: Aviantei

A _Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic_ One Shot

* * *

He hears of it when he's little and is unsure of what to do with it. It's no secret that the third prince of the Kou Empire is a little odd, even a bit more so than the rest of the family around him. Because even if everyone else is obsessed with war, that makes them suited to lead this country, the one that's going to take over the world.

In Kouha's case, the illness takes what should be a birthright away from him.

_Illness_ isn't really the proper word for it either, but no one else in the palace seems to know what to call it. Kouha doesn't think of it as negatively as everyone else seems to, but maybe that's because he's the one that's afflicted by it. In the young prince's eyes, he is unable to recognize that not everyone gets the same excitement as he does out of the sight of blood.

At least, not until he gets told directly. Not until he indirectly overhears that there's something wrong with him. That's enough to make it clear.

Personally, Kouha doesn't see what's so wrong with it. It makes him enthusiastic to attend his combat lessons, makes him excel. It makes him a better fighter, putting him on a level close to some of his older siblings. He easily surpasses Koumei, even if that has more to do with the elder brother's weak constitution than Kouha's own skill. It's simple really.

The better he gets at fighting, the more blood there is, after all.

The better he gets at fighting, the more they should accept him, right?

And he does get praised. The line of second-tier royalty all makes their progress over the years, and all get recognized for their own merits. They come to lead their own units, take place in battles to expand the territory of their country. The accomplishments rack up, words of praise are spoken, and debates are held between the people of which heir will come to stand at the top of the Kou Empire in the future.

Kouha's name is missing from all of the conversations concerning the latter.

Not even the capture of a dungeon, the possession of a metal vessel can change that. After all, even if the people don't know what happened inside Leraje, they do know that this was meant to be Kouen's conquest, the fourth dungeon under the belt of the First Prince. For the Third Prince to have returned with the metal vessel instead…

It's frustrating. After all, as accidental as the conquest was, it's still supposed to make him a King Vessel, one of Judar's King Candidates. It's supposed to give him the chance to possibly be a ruler, but no one seems to see it that way. Sure, he supports Kouen with everything he has, but the fact that no one ever seems to _want_ to give him a chance…

It bothers him that none of the work he does is ever going to be rewarded.

* * *

One of the only things that is ever going to be able to keep him going is the thought of his brothers.

When it comes down to it, Kouen and Koumei are amazing. They both have the same aptitude for war, either physical or tactical. They both push forward, making their conquests, bringing more territory into the empire. Kouha doesn't mind if he's never going to be emperor, so long as he gets to support one of his brothers in the role.

He idolizes them, really. What else is he supposed to do? They've both paved the way; they're both the future of the Kou Empire. When the succession comes through, there's no doubt that Kouen will take the throne, despite the others, simply because he's so _strong_. He'll be the man to conquer the world, and Koumei will be his main advisor, and that will be that.

And Kouha will do whatever he needs to do to support them both.

Because in the end they're the only two people outside of his unit that accept Kouha the way he is.

Sure, Kouha is grateful to his unit. After all, he's handpicked every member, brought together a group that can truly empathize with him. They're all misfits, they've all been rejected for things they can't control. Kouha loves them like they're his family, has sworn to protect him.

But it's different when it comes to his brothers. After all, they haven't had the same experience as Kouha has. They don't think the same way. Sure, all of Ren Koutoku's children have the same excitement for battle, but Kouha's the only one with the fixation on blood. He's the only one that's been ostracized, and his brothers have not.

They still care for him, though, and that's what makes it special. His brothers are perfect and they still love him, treat him like an asset instead of a hindrance. They put value onto his presence, make Kouha more than just a prince with a mirage of a title.

And if fighting's what's going to make Kouha keep that worth, then fighting's what he'll do. Kouha takes it all seriously, from actual combat training to strategizing and even a bit of diplomacy. If he's going to lead a unit of the Kou Empire for the sake of his brothers, then he's going to put everything he has into it. He'll endure any war until the end, hoping for a tiny bit of praise from his brothers.

It's almost more satisfying than the bloodshed he gets to cause while doing it.

* * *

That sort of resolve is what carries him through the battlefield surrounding Magnoshutatt, after he's already jumped in for the sake of his unit. Now, the battle's become something much bigger, but that doesn't matter, because Kouen needs him to fight. So he abandons his fear _(because these are monsters, they're too strong, they don't stop coming, we don't have a chance)_ and does all he can, following orders and strategies set up by Koumei, doing what he can with the small temporary alliance that's fighting beside him.

It feels insanely stupid, but that caution gets thrown out the window. Even without the reward of blood to guide him, Aladdin makes it sound possible. Kouen makes it sound possible. In fact, he makes it sound more than that, he makes it sound like it should be _easy_. Because there's no way that the royalty of the Kou Empire should be able to lose against something like this.

Except it really feels like they are losing. Kouha's strength is draining, his magoi is running low, and he's starting to lose his breath. He can't even challenge one of the creatures on his own, and ends up at a disadvantage. In the end, he gets caught, trapped in the hand of a giant, its fingers pressing his comparably minuscule body against its palm, rukh draining out of him at an incomprehensible rate.

He's never felt scared before. He's never felt weak. Now, in this perilous situation, he does. No matter what happened before, no matter how many not even bothered to be concealed insults were thrown his way, Kouha's always managed to pick himself up. He's always known that he was strong, that he could handle anything, that there was no reason to be afraid. That reason's gone now.

_No, it's too much I can't break free it's going to kill me I don't want to die I wanted to do more than this I should have been able to win someone save me please please pleasepleaseplease no don't let it no nono—_

_En-nii, I'm sorry—_

He blacks out before he can even scream.

* * *

He comes back to consciousness way sooner than he knows he should. Even the new burst of life and magoi isn't enough to make him feel any less weary, isn't enough to remove the echoes of pain that are still ravaging his back, his legs. Even with the injuries healed, his body still aches. Kouha doesn't want to think about how badly he was beaten up before this.

He stands up anyway.

There's a call to action after all, a new plan. This is probably the last chance they have, so there's no time to waste. Not that Kouha really cares about that. What he does care about is doing something redeeming, being able to make up for his failure. He's already made Kouen forgive him once today, no need to make it thrice.

So Kouha stands up and fights.

Because there's nothing else he can do.

* * *

I only have ten minutes to work with, so this'll be short.

I really love Kouha, so I felt like delving in a bit more with his feelings. Especially when it comes to the battle against the Medium, I felt like I could toy around and see where it got me. This was the result.

I'm tinkering with the idea of a few longer Kouha-centered fics, but those will take some time to produce.

Thanks for reading and feel free to let me know what you think!

[POST] 052214


	2. Fight On II

**Fight On II**

By: Aviantei

A _Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic_ One Shot

* * *

She hears about it almost constantly because there's nothing she can do about it. Her status is an unchangeable shape in this world, something she can't change. The Eighth Imperial Princess. Even with her recent status change, she's still at the bottom of the totem pole, hardly any better than her half-sister who has been demoted below her.

Kougyoku is an illegitimate child, even lower than dirt.

Maybe that's why it's so surprising when she's the one that ends up winning the Metal Vessel at the end of the dungeon and suddenly she's worth a lot more. Maybe not in a completely elevated position, but in one that's above where she was. Because in this country that's not much more than a war power, Kougyoku can now at least _fight_.

She enjoys it probably a bit more than she should, but that seems to be the norm among her family. She's watched Kouen lead his army in the front position, easily defeating enemies on par with his men. She's fought beside Kouha and watched as her brother laughs over the blood and the bodies. So, maybe, Kougyoku thinks, it's okay for her to smile a little as she wields Vinea as a blade imbued with magic that can wash away her enemies.

Her promotion to a general in the Imperial Subjugation Army seems to be a given. Maybe that's why nobody understands why Kougyoku walks away from the event feeling so _shocked_.

Beforehand, she's never amounted to anything. Even with Ka Koubun's support she couldn't do much as a princess or a delegate. Being demure is one thing, but Kougyoku's shyness seems crippling sometimes, and standing on even ground with true leaders like Sinbad is out of her reach. No matter what she tries, coming out on the top in political situations isn't something she can do.

Maybe that's why Kougyoku fights. Because at least that way she knows that she's got a chance of winning.

* * *

Sometimes Kougyoku tells herself she fights because it's the best thing to do, but she knows that's not entirely true. Even discounting morality—which is all too easy to do—she knows her battle rushes are getting worse. An excuse to pull out her Metal Vessel and extreme magic on Sinbad isn't missed. Multitudes of enemies on Magnoshutatt grounds face her sword and disappear in a haze. It's just the way that she fights, but no one ever says anything against it.

In the end, Kougyoku's reasons for fighting are nothing but selfish.

She wants her family's approval. She wants to feel like she's worth something. She wants to feel that adrenaline spike the moment she goes into battle, the moment she challenges her opponent and the logic of the ordinary world goes disappears like an afterthought.

The Kou Empire's Civil War ends up being no different.

She should be worried. And Kougyoku is. Her family is fighting. Her country is tearing itself apart—and for what? She doesn't even fathom the reasons. She can't, because it makes no sense to her. Kouen has always been aiming to unite the world, and now the royal family is tearing itself apart from the inside.

But she fights anyway, because what else is she going to do? Sit back? Let her brothers try and kill each other? Let the soldiers that trust her just remain on their own, with no help? That's not an answer. Fighting doesn't seem like much of an answer, either, but it's the Imperial Family's default by now, the only thing they know.

And Kougyoku is tired of sitting back and feeling worthless.

* * *

It's funny how much Kouha reminds Kougyoku of herself.

Admittedly, they are similar. Illegitimate children of Emperors aren't exactly uncommon, and in that aspect, she and Kouha are the same. They both have the same core bloodlust, though Kouha goes a bit farther than her. And they both want to see Kouen succeed, want to make it out of this war on the side of victors.

It's probably why they fight so well side by side.

It's funny; for all the battles the Kou Empire has fought, there haven't been many opportunities for its Subjugation Armies to come together into one unit. That's why Kougyoku has never really seen Kouha on the battlefield before, and vice versa.

But despite that, they work in tandem. And for a moment, Kougyoku looks to Kouha, and she knows that he's thinking the same thing.

_If this is all I'm worth, then I better give it all I got._

For a moment, Kougyoku almost feels happy, almost feels at peace.

That's what makes it all the worse when Sinbad's magic overcomes her and sends the battle in a completely different direction.

Two years aren't enough to make up for all the trouble that Kougyoku has caused, and the changes to the Kou Empire are unmistakable. In a world where war is no longer the leading factor, they don't have much to show. The three Imperial Princes are exiled, and Kougyoku is put on the throne as nothing more than a puppet ruler, someone to hold the place until the Kou Empire collapses into its worthless economy, and the piece become fair game for the Seven Stars Alliance to pick apart.

* * *

Two years aren't enough for Kougyoku to stop feeling guilty for what she's done to her country, to stop hating herself for running it into the ground.

_Because what else can we do?_

"You can fight back."

She doesn't know who she expects to say those words. Certainly not herself. All her brothers are gone, and her advisors, even the stubborn Ka Koubun have given up. Everyone thinks it's just a matter of time until the Kou Empire is wiped off the map, left to be an annotation in a history that no one cares about. The entire country is ready for it.

But not Alibaba.

Kougyoku doesn't know where he's come from or what he's been doing. But she does know that right now Alibaba is the one stepping in, being the catalyst they need. And the more he talks, the more Kougyoku believes him; that there is a way to make it through this and still have her country when it's all over.

_There's more than one way to fight a battle,_ she considers. And this is one they have the tools for, so long as they don't give up.

The Kou Empire's royal family, if nothing else, are fighters. And for that reason, Kougyoku refuses to give up.

* * *

[NOTES] I never particularly planned to do a second part to this, but after the Kou Empire's Civil War, I found myself really appreciating Kougyoku's character more. I had some thoughts, and I figured they fit the themes, so a "sequel" of sorts it is.

Thanks to Kukat, Angel-Rei-chan1, kheelwithit, Latias876, denOden, blackthorners, ZettaG514, Trafal-Girl, Petrichor in May, JTReads, Guardian's Solstice, Florffinatior, Bandyyyy, and AoiTori10 for your reviews, favorites, and follows on the first one shot. If you ever stumble across this, I hope it's also enjoyable.

This little one shot exists thanks to [Equinoctial Stars over Seasons], a mid-season [Sauce Project] for all your miscellaneous writing needs. Itching to write stuff? Check out the forums and maybe take on a challenge. I know I certainly get results out of it...

Anyway, this was fun to try and readjust the flow of Kouha's piece for Kougyoku. Thanks for reading!

[POST] 032616


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